Earlier this year, it competed in the American College Cricket Spring Break Championship for the first time in the team’s 20-year history. Not only did the team knock out Texas A&M, the No. 1 team in the country, but it finished as the first team in the tournament’s history reach the quarterfinals in its first national championship tournament appearance.

“The sport has been slow to establish itself in the U.S. However, it’s growing on the collegiate level, and WVU has a significant number of international graduate students from European countries where cricket is most popular,” said Manager of Intramurals and Club Sports Bruce Brubaker.”

Not long after their competitive performance at the tournament, WVU alumnus and Religious Studies professor Sohail Chaudhry was selected as one of 16 honorary cricket players for the All-American College Cricket team, an honorary team similar to an all-star team, by American College Cricket.

“It is a great honor to be part of the best cricketers in the nation,” Chaudhry said. “I am thankful to the Almighty and all those who have supported me over the years. The entire WVU Cricket fraternity deserves this honor.”

Selection of the team was based on performances at the ACC National Championship and Regional Championships, ACC home and away league matches, sportsmanship on and off the field and contributions made off the field that promote American College Cricket.

The WVU Cricket Club was organized in the early 1990s and plays on the Evansdale recreation fields. The club participates in the Pittsburgh Cricket Association League, comprised of more than 18 teams from the greater Pittsburgh area. The WVU Cricket Club has won the league four times in 2007, 2008, 2012 and 2013.